- Deerfield Public Schools District 109
- Welcome - copy
-
The Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Committee in District 109, made up of teachers, administrators, and community members, was formed in September 2020. In the spring of 2021, the committee surveyed families, teachers, and students to gather information regarding school priorities related to the DEI initiative. In the spring of 2022, the district also partnered with Integrated Comprehensive Systems of Equity (ICSE) to complete an equity audit. In August of 2022, the Board of Education adopted a new mission, vision, core values, and a strategic plan that illustrates the district’s commitment to this work.
Goal 3 of the Strategic Plan reads “District 109 will ensure every student’s unique identity is valued by working towards equitable outcomes in all educational identifiers: general education, advanced learning, special education, Section 504, EL, RtI, co-curriculars, extra-curriculars, etc.” Objectives are as follows:
-
Create collaborative pathways to co-serve all students.
-
Provide ongoing professional development opportunities in identity development and equity best practices.
-
Cultivate culturally responsive classrooms by examining curricular and educational materials to ensure inclusion of diverse populations and perspectives.
-
Measure educational access to ensure equitable opportunities for success are available to all students.
Core values that specifically reinforce the district’s commitment to the success of every student in every school are as follows:
-
Committed to inclusive practices that ensure equitable outcomes across educational environments for all students.
-
Embrace people of all identities, races, ethnicities, genders, ages, religions, abilities, orientations, education levels, national origins, or any other distinguishing characteristics or traits.
In the spring of 2023, the committee began working with Dr. Shawn Joseph and Dr. Connie Evelyn to reset and renew its focus. The district recruited new members in the spring to form five DEI advisory sub-committees that convened on August 30, 2023. The five advisories and their charges are laid out below.
-
-
School Culture
The charge of the school culture committee is to research, understand, and expand student and educator experiences that promote valuing diversity, equity, inclusion, and belongingness within the Deerfield School District 109 school community. The committee will research best practices for improving school culture and creating equitable school outcomes.
-
Curriculum & Instruction
The charge of the pre-k through 8th grade curriculum and instruction committee is to review the equity audit to identify opportunities for curricular and instructional updates, as well as targeted professional learning, to enhance student and educator experiences aligned with the core vision, values, and strategic plan of the school district.
-
Workforce Diversity
The workforce diversity committee will research and implement best practices to ensure that the Deerfield School District 109 not only hires for quality and expertise, but also for diversity in all areas of the school district. This includes all administrative roles looking at the diversity of leadership to recruit and retain quality and expertise.
-
Community Relations & Collaboration
The charge of the community relations and collaboration committee is to engage the broader community, connect resources, and promote communication about diversity, equity, and inclusion efforts within District 109.
-
Policy
The charge of the policy committee is to review existing school board policies to recommend modifications where there is an opportunity to promote best practices relative to diversity, equity, and inclusion.